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Makeover Your Career

Makeover Your Career

by Louis Silberman
It’s no secret that winter’s colder temperatures and dreary days can affect our moods. You’ve probably heard the term “the winter blahs” and maybe you’re experiencing them right now. On the other hand, maybe what you’re feeling isn’t actually connected to the weather at all. Maybe it’s something that statistics say affects 77 percent of working Americans at one time or another – career burnout.

In the aesthetics business, burnout can make you feel lethargic, reduce your productivity, and make you want to throw in the towel on procedures you once enjoyed and looked forward to doing. If this is the case and you find yourself dreading going to work, not feeling excited about providing treatments, and not actively engaging your clients, you’re likely suffering from burnout. While it can be tough to get out of this rut, it can be done. It will take some work, but you have the ability to reclaim your passion for skincare, customer service, and the aesthetics industry. Instead of giving your customer a makeover, you’re going to give your career a makeover.

Common Causes of Burnout

Boredom and repetition are the “terrible two” factors when it comes to feeling burnt out on the job. They are often the main culprits behind a loss of motivation and enthusiasm at work. Take a look at your appointment calendar. Are you doing facial after facial after facial? While a facial is a wonderful staple of any aesthetic practice, you may start to feel like you’re working on an assembly line.

Many people who suffer from burnout have held their current job for a number of years and feel like they have mastered their profession. They’ve grown tired of the daily tasks associated with work, and because of that, they often slide by doing the bare minimum. This creates a vicious cycle that deepens the rut in which a worker is stuck.

External factors can also contribute to burnout. The five-thousand year old Chinese philosophy of Feng Shui says that we are intimately connected with the spaces in which we live and work, and that our surroundings constantly have an impact on us whether we’re aware of it or not. A lackluster workspace can have the same effect as a cold, rainy day – creating those “blah” feelings that make it hard to get through the day.

Steps to Reclaim Your Passion

Getting your mojo back is not always easy; however, you can accomplish it with some effort, persistence, and creativity. One of the best ways to reclaim your passion for your career is to rebrand your services. Think of new and exciting ways to promote the beauty-enhancing treatments you provide.

For example, are there services you offer that clients don’t gravitate towards or are reluctant to try, so you hardly every perform them? You may be able to change that by presenting those services in a different way. Focus on the benefits of a treatment, not the treatment itself. Instead of offering a “deep chemical peel,” offer a “turn back the clock treatment that reduces wrinkles and age spots.”

This business is all about the amazing results we are able to help people achieve on a daily basis. If you can return your focus to that, you will likely reignite your passion for the skincare industry. One of the best ways to get excited about the latest procedures is to experience them yourself and share the results with your clients. Many aesthetics professionals maintain their enthusiasm by being a walking example of the latest treatments. Tell your client about your experience and all the positive results.

For example, imagine yourself engaging in a conversation with your client Mary. “Mary, I’ve gotta tell you – my biggest skin concern has always been the sun damage spots on my shoulders and chest – spots that kind of looked like freckles. Well, my friend zapped me with her IPL photofacial device – and I’ll admit I was little nervous because it was my first time – but… wow! I watched the spots turn dark black before my very eyes, and 10 days later, they were gone. It was coolest thing I’ve ever experienced! I feel so much better now when I wear v-neck shirts and tank tops.”

After hearing your story, Mary may say, “Well, I have some spots on my face and chest too. Do you think the treatment would work on me?” Voilá! All of a sudden, your story telling magic got your client to ask you about trying a new procedure.

Rework Your Workspace

Sprucing up a lackluster workspace can also help combat burnout. There are many inexpensive ways to enhance your treatment area and create an uplifting environment. The first thing to look at is the paint job. Does your color scheme match the mood you want to create? Soft colors like blue, green, and violent are psychologically soothing. In contrast, very bright colors have been shown to increase anxiety and can even cause some people’s blood pressure to rise.

Once you’re satisfied with the décor and the colors of your workspace, a framed inspirational quote can work wonders. One of my favorites is from twentieth century German novelist Franz Kafka. “Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old.” You can even go a step further and have your chosen quote printed onto labels that you affix to the water bottles you offer clients after treatments.

The look and aroma of fresh flowers can also enhance your working environment and your client’s experience. Buy a bouquet of daisies on your way to work and place them in a vase in your treatment area. As each client leaves, take a flower from the vase and give it to your client. The joy of receiving flowers (and giving flowers) can instantly put a smile on both of your faces.

High-Tech Education to Keep You Motivated

There are new developments in aesthetic technology all the time. That means there is always an opportunity to learn something new, and many opportunities to add new treatments to your list of services. Education is a great way to combat boredom and repetition. It also has the added benefit of increasing your earning potential. Here are some exciting high-tech treatments you may want to add to your practice.

Fractional Skin Rejuvenation – Fractional skin rejuvenation is one of the most popular procedures for eliminating wrinkles, stretch marks, and acne scars. These results are achieved through the use of either radiofrequency energy or a standard beam of laser light that is split into thousands of microbeams. These treatments stimulate collagen growth and improve skin texture to create a dramatically younger-looking appearance. A fractional treatment can be used to treat skin anywhere on the body. The treatment is non-ablative, and clients can return to work immediately following the procedure.

Spider Vein Reduction – Spider veins are a problem 75 percent of women and 40 percent of men face. That means spider vein reduction is likely a treatment many of your clients will be interested in. The latest high-tech treatments use light-based technology or radiofrequency energy to eliminate those red, blue, and purple vein marks.

Light-based treatments use a laser or an intense pulsed light beam to reduce the appearance of spider veins without harming nearby skin tissue. This treatment works by emitting a special wavelength of light that is only absorbed by the damaged blood vessels. The heat seals off the vein from the body’s circulation and makes it inactive. Over a short period of time, the color fades away as the body naturally absorbs the vein.

Radiofrequency vein reduction treatments use an insulated probe to deliver a regulated high frequency current to the blood vessel, without affecting the skin’s outer layers. The electric energy from the probe is converted into heat, which solidifies the blood in the damaged vessel and collapses the vessel wall. As soon as the vein collapses, it is no longer visible. The body will naturally absorb the collapsed vessel. Radiofrequency treatments enable you to rid clients of troublesome spider veins on anywhere on the body.

Cellulite Reduction – More than 85 percent of women have cellulite. So, how is it that celebrities always look picture-perfect when wearing revealing outfits on the red carpet? The latest technology is helping celebrities achieve a slim, smooth appearance, and it can help your clients look their best, too.

High-tech cellulite treatments incorporate a number of modalities including infrared light, radiofrequency energy, and ultrasound technology. Each treatment offers a method to reduce the dimpled orange peel look of cellulite while smoothing the skin. Cellulite reduction treatments are able to treat a variety of skin types, and there is no downtime after the procedure.

Each treatment works differently to achieve skin-smoothing results. Ultrasound treatments produce a localized heat that creates a micro-massage effect on fat cells and warms the connective tissue. That process stimulates blood circulation and redistribution of fat, which smoothes the appearance of cellulite. Infrared and radiofrequency modalities use light and radio frequencies along with a mechanical vacuum massage to decrease the appearance of fat and cellulite and contour the body.

Laser skin tightening works by using a laser to heat the collagen under the skin’s surface. This causes the skin to tighten as a natural healing response. The laser skin tightening procedure offers immediate results, and there is little to no downtime following the treatment.

Radiofrequency skin tightening is a procedure that sends heat into the dermal layer of the skin while the skin’s superficial layer remains protected. This treatment is based on the absorption of radio waves, held at controlled frequencies, through tissue in the body. This technology is designed to contract and stimulate collagen production for a more toned and contoured appearance. Similar to the laser treatment, there is little to no downtime following this procedure.

Adding High-Tech Treatments to Your Aesthetic Practice

Acquiring the skills needed to offer these procedures is not as difficult as one might think. In most states, aesthetic professionals are not required to have a medical background to perform many high-tech treatments. However, comprehensive education and training are beneficial to understanding the proper techniques and safety protocols associated with these procedures.

Completing a comprehensive medical aesthetics course is a shorter process than the process of becoming a licensed aesthetician. Regulations vary by state, but the industry-accepted standard in medical aesthetics education is two weeks of combined classroom and clinical hands-on education.